Turquoise and Mining Districts
In Nevada turquoise is closely associated with certain mining districts. In this video Mike explains why.
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Mike Ryan
- Nov 16
High Graders, Claim Jumpers and Other Varmints
Turquoise mining is a difficult business. Theft is a serious problem for turquoise miners. In this video Mike discusses the different...
Mike Ryan
- Nov 3
Turquoise Identification in Jewelry
Godber Burnham in repurposed Keneth Begay watch bracelet. Photo Mike Ryan II In this video Mike describes a method for helping identify...
Mike Ryan
- Oct 17
The Price of Turquoise
Determining a price for natural turquoise is difficult. Most turquoise is very chalky and requires the injection of plastic polymers in...
Mike Ryan
- Oct 10
Rarest of the Rare
In this video Mike shows what he considers to be the most rare turquoise. Many people never have the opportunity to see the highest grade...
Mike Ryan
- Sep 28
Gem Grade Turquoise
Turquoise is a rare stone. The highest gem grade is found in as little as 0.10%, or less, of all turquoise. In this video Mike shows some...
Mike Ryan
- Sep 12
Turquoise Cutting Part Three
In this final video in our series on turquoise cutting Mike demonstrates how to apply a turquoise slab to a doping stick and how to cut a...
Mike Ryan
- Sep 2
Turquoise Cutting Part Two
In this video, which is part of our three part series on turquoise cutting, Mike shows how he looks at nuggets before cutting and how to...
Mike Ryan
- Aug 24
Turquoise Cutting Part One
In the first of a three part series Mike will demonstrate his method of cutting turquoise. Although he is not a professional lapidary the...
Mike Ryan
- Jul 24
Turquoise Matrix
Before the development of a southwest tourist market and the interest in Native American jewelry featuring beautiful turquoise in matrix,...
Mike Ryan
- Jul 15
Turquocite and Variquoise
Variscite and turquoise are often confused for each other. In this video Mike discusses why this is so and we see some beautiful examples.
Mike Ryan
- Jun 30
The Geology of Turquoise
Ever wonder about the difference between supergene and hypogene turquoise formation? Well, rest easy, in this video Mike covers the...
Mike Ryan
- Jun 21
Turquoise Beads
Ithaca Peak turquoise nugget bead necklace. Photo Arland Ben. Turquoise has one commercial application and that is in jewelry. The...
Mike Ryan
- Jun 13
Starburst and Lander Blue
Lander Blue is an iconic mine in large part due to it being the most expensive turquoise. This has led to many imitations from sellers...
Mike Ryan
- Jun 3
Pixie Turquoise
Pixie is not a famous turquoise mine. It is not even a not so famous mine but it has a great story. Is it turquoise, or variscite, or...
Mike Ryan
- May 27
Provenance and ID
On the social media groups a frequent question is for turquoise identification but in cabochon and jewelry. In this video Mike discusses...
Mike Ryan
- May 18
More Not So Famous Turquoise Mines
In previous videos we have looked at many of the famous turquoise mines and a few not so famous. In this video Mike shows a few more of...
Mike Ryan
- May 6
Blue Moon and the Pay Digs
Blue Moon is a well known turquoise from the Candelaria Hills of Nevada. It is closely associated with other claims from the Royston...
Mike Ryan
- Apr 29
Turquoise Price and Value
Market pricing has always been subject to controversy. At one point finance theory believed that all stock prices were efficient because...
Mike Ryan
- Apr 22
Turquoise Books
While our viewers and subscribers are familiar with Turquoise in America Parts One and Two, you may not know about some of these other...